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Richie Porte out of Team Sky squad for 2014 Giro d’Italia

Australian to miss Giro d’Italia after bout of gastroenteritis disrupts early season preparations

Under the weather: Richie Porte will miss the Giro d’Italia which starts in Belfast on May 9Photo: REUTERS

Richie Porte has been withdrawn from Team Sky’s squad for next month’s Giro d’Italia, ostensibly due to a lack of preparation following a bout of gastroenteritis last month that saw him pull out of both Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of Catalunya.

Team Sky announced that the Australian, who had been targeting the Giro, would now concentrate on supporting Chris Froome at this summer’s Tour de France.

“Richie was always going to ride the Tour de France this year, but this now means that he can fully focus on being in the best possible shape without the added challenge of having ride the Giro as well,” said Tim Kerrison, Sky’s head of performance support.

Inevitably, Porte’s withdrawal has led to plenty of speculation about what the decision might mean for Team Sky, both at the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.

The British team have not yet announced their Giro squad but it could be that they decide not to target the general classification and go stage-hunting instead.

Promoting one of their up and coming riders such as Geraint Thomas or Peter Kennaugh to team leader would go down well with British fans, although both are likely to be wanted on top form at the Tour, especially with Contador looking dangerous.

Alternatively, Sir Bradley Wiggins could switch from the Tour of California and return to a race from which he retired last year, although that would appear unlikely given his stated intention to race and promote the sport in the United States.

Team Sky announced in the same statement that Porte would ride Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 27, while Wiggins will lead Sky’s team at the Giro del Trentino (April 22-25) as his program is re-shuffled once again.

The 2012 Tour de France champion was a last-minute addition to the Tour of Flanders team after Ian Stannard and Chris Sutton were injured in crashes the previous weekend. Wiggins will ride Scheldeprijs on Wednesday and Paris-Roubaix, one of his main targets for the season, on Sunday.

“I am sad to miss a race that is very close to my heart – my first win as a professional,” said the Manx rider who has won the race three times, in 2007, 2008 and 2011. “With a team built around me, I wouldn’t feel right in asking my team-mates to sacrifice themselves if I’m not in condition to perform.”